


I Caught a Glimpse Now it Haunts Me

by FanFareScribe



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, As well as my first Nygmobblepot writing, Jealousy, Love Confession, M/M, Minor Character Death, Nightmare, Posthumous Character Death, This is my first shipping fic, blood tw, constructive criticism appreciated, dream - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 08:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15045317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFareScribe/pseuds/FanFareScribe
Summary: Oswald has been preparing to confess for months, but something is holding him back. One glimpse of the scene before him sends him into a nervous fury.





	I Caught a Glimpse Now it Haunts Me

**Author's Note:**

> Summaries are not my forte.
> 
> I will warn you that this is based off of only knowledge that I read of. I decided to take a break from Gotham around the beginning of Season 3, right after Oswald broke him out of Arkham. So the beginning dinner scene isn't word for word. I am also aware of the fact that Isabella didn't recieve a lot of characterization.

Oswald looks at the meal he had prepared on this beautiful night. The candles are lit, the steak is cooked to perfection, the wine is only the finest Bordeaux to pair with the dinner, all of it is so gracefully complimented by the roaring fire, in the fireplace, giving the room a sort of ambience. Perfect, he’s sure to impress Edward, and hopefully win his heart. He paces the room, restless thoughts going through his head about how he’s going to confess. The rapid pacing is bothering his limp leg, but he can’t help it. His heart just won’t settle down. 

“‘Ed, throughout our friendship I’ve been gaining certain feelings…’ No… ‘Ed, you have been my friend for a very long time and I would just like to say…’” Oswald grunts and sighs. Why do they all sound needlessly forced? Why can’t he just let it out? He stops. Taking a deep breath, he belts it out to raise his confidence.

“‘Ed. I love you.’” 

The fireplace and the candles instantly go out, right after he said that, making the room go dark and dreary. The cold, accompanying the darkness, sends tingles down his spine. Oswald passes this off as merely a draft in the room but he feels dread, like there may be something unpleasant in the midst. He takes a large steak knife and tucks it in his jacket. A light shines in the hallway, a light that Oswald follows with uncertainty. The only sounds he can hear is the echoing clicks of his shoes as he walks through the corridor. It leads to Ed’s room, and as he gets closer to it, sounds of laughter can be heard from it. The laughter is easily recognizable as Edward’s but… There’s also a woman’s laugh. No…No, it can’t be! He bursts into the room to see Edward sitting on his bed, with none other than Isabelle…or whatever her name is, sitting on his lap. Isabelle, the woman who stole Edward’s heart before Oswald could win it! Isabelle who feigns interest in Edward’s mind and riddles to seduce him, use him, plays with his emotions! And she’s sitting in Edward’s lap! 

“That was a good riddle! You got me there!” Isabelle cheekily says, giggling like an unintelligent school girl. 

“You’re a wonderful listener, Isabella. I’m glad that there is someone who appreciates me for who I am.” He’s nuzzling noses with her, lips dangerously close to hers. He’s gazing into her eyes adoringly, with that bright smile. That radiant smile that Edward has patented, and which makes Oswald heart flutter in his chest. He’s absolutely handsome when he’s happy, but it sickens Oswald knowing the true situation.

Edward’s showing genuine love to someone who is playing him like a puppet. Oswald shakes at the mere thought of it. 

The room goes silent as Edward’s eyes turn up and he looks at Oswald.

“Oswald. Is there something you want?” The smile faded and the face contorted to one of annoyance. Like he’s some sort of nuisance who ruined his evening. Oswald’s heart sinks seeing him so upset, knowing that he’s the one who caused it. 

“If you have something to say, say it now.” Edward sighs when his question was met with silence.

This is it! He should tell him how he feels right now! He’s about to speak but his mouth couldn’t form coherent words. He feels pain as his teeth start to fall out collectively into his shaking hands. He tries to say something! Say anything! But all that comes out is a slurred silent shout of gibberish, as his mouth starts to feel like it’s filled with cotton! He starts to shake with horror as Edward’s look of annoyance turns into a look of disgust. 

“Ew. Oswald, that’s gross. I am so sorry, Isabella, I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

Isabelle just stares at Oswald, until she snorts and laughs obnoxiously. “You can’t even speak! I’ve never seen anyone so pathetic! Eddie, leave him. I don’t even know why you would choose to be around this freak.” 

Without another thought he takes the knife he has hidden in his coat and lunges at her! This woman has the audacity to call him a freak?? To belittle him in front of Ed?? He stabs her repeatedly, ignoring the cries of Ed or the witch’s screams. She bleeds heavily as she goes limp in Edward’s arms. Oswald steps away, knife falling on the floor, shaking madly. He’s covered in her blood. He looks up at Edward who clutches onto Isabelle’s body, sobbing madly. “You!! You killed Isabella!!” Edward stands and he’s suddenly in his Riddler attire, glaring daggers at Oswald. The room starts to distort as the Riddler walks towards Oswald with contempt and cold hellish rage. Oswald stumbles back, tears leaking out of his eyes. All he wanted was his affections! He wanted to show him true love! Something that Isabelle would never show! The Riddler’s hands wrap around his neck, he begins to shake him back and forth as he strangles him. He starts to lose his breath. He can’t breathe! He screams, but no sound escapes his mouth! His whole world distorts further as Edward continues to strangle him. He’s saying something, but it’s difficult to make out. Listening closely the words become more clearer and clearer. 

“Oswald! OSWALD! WAKE UP!” 

———————

Oswald’s senses start to return to him as he starts to awaken. He’s laying on some sort of cushioned surface. He’s shaking and spasming violently, struggling to escape. Escape what? A grip. Someone’s grip on his shoulders. Whose grip?? 

“Oswald. Oz, it’s me. It’s Ed. Nygma.” 

“Ed…?” Suddenly his surroundings are more clear. He’s laying on the couch as Edward sits above him, grasping his shoulders while stroking circles on his shoulders. 

“You’re at home in the living room. It is currently five in the morning. You must have fell asleep looking over that tariff bill.” 

Oswald looks to the side to the coffee table and it’s true, there’s the stack of papers of the bill he was looking through. 

“I told you that sleeping on the couch is bad for you, you could twist your joints that way.” Ed chastises, but the concern is still there in his eyes. “When I came into the room to check on you, you were thrashing in your sleep. You were also gasping for air. What happened? Was it a dream?”

“I-Isabelle… Y-You were with Isabelle…” Oswald chokes out, still feeling disorientated. 

“Isabelle? Oh. Isabella.” Edward corrects. “Oswald. Isabella was a spy who you killed about a month ago. Remember?”

Oswald searches his memories and suddenly they become more clear. That’s right, Isabelle was a spy for Hugo Strange who underwent plastic surgery to mirror the face of Kristen Kringle, Edward’s first love and his second kill. She was charged to get close to him, seduce him, to manipulate him, so she could gather his deepest darkest secrets. And eventually, use him to get to Oswald. 

At first, during the first few weeks of their dating, Oswald felt nothing but intense hatred and jealousy towards her. He got himself involved, by breaking up their romantic sessions, or piling Ed with work, or giving her the wrong time when Ed asked him to relay date times to her. Edward began to notice Oswald’s behavior and got angry. “I don’t know why you hate her so much, but she makes me happy, can’t you at least respect that?!” Oswald was in a turmoil of emotions after that argument, slamming the door to his room. He stopped interfering for a while but as he got more information on her, her motives became clear. This woman was making Edward happy. This manipulative fraud was making him happy. Giving him the ideal girlfriend just so she could dissect him and make him vulnerable.

That just made him hate her even more. 

Of course, Edward wouldn’t believe him if Oswald told him without proof. He gathered as much proof as he could on Isabelle, former identities, plastic surgery information, testimonies from Arkham (those he received through less orthodox means but it worked out well) everything that could expose her for who she was. If he showed Edward and he went to her for confirmation, she wouldn’t admit to it. He knew she wouldn’t. So he walked up to them before they left for their date one night, and showed them all of the files. He watched as Isabelle’s face morphed to one of horror of being backed into a corner. She shrieked and attacked Edward, but before she could go near him, Oswald took out his gun and shot her. Edward was in a state of shock, he shied away from Oswald’s touch. He stood up and walked into his room, leaving Oswald alone with a dead body to have cleaned up. Edward didn’t talk to him for days until he finally spoke to him during breakfast. It was an awkward talk, but they were talking. Oswald said her espionage and manipulation was the reason why he hated her but he neglected to speak of his jealousy. 

He never said anything about his true feelings. 

But he made it clear how he would do anything for him. Just as Edward has promised him before. 

His teeth fell out of his mouth in his dream. 

He couldn’t communicate with him. He couldn’t tell him how he felt. 

“Oswald? You’re staring off into space. Are you sure you’re okay? I can go get you some—” 

“I…Haven’t been completely honest with you, Ed.” Oswald softly says. 

“What?”

“About the reason why I hated Isabelle.” 

“Isabella. What are you talking about? You told me the truth about her. I can understand why you hated her.”

“N-No.” Oswald shakes his head as he cracks a smile. “I… Only found out about her being a spy halfway through your dating. S-Seeing her constantly with you, just made me angry.”

Edward quirked his head while furrowing his eyes. His eyes then widen in realization. "I reside in all, created by desire. When I am awakened, distain grows like fire. What am I?

Oswald chuckles. Just like Ed, finding the explanation through a riddle. “Yes. I was jealous.” 

“J-Jealous? You mean…”

“I’m in love with you, Ed. I’ve been in love with you for a very long time. I-I couldn’t figure out a way how to say it. I was thinking of telling you through a nice candlelit dinner but… You announced… Your girlfriend Isabelle. Isabella. Whatever. A-At first… I was jealous of her. But you said that she made you happy, so I tried to stop interfering. But then I found out her true intentions and I couldn’t just let it all happen.”

Ed’s silence was not something Oswald was wanting to hear. He sits up. “Of course, I can understand if you don’t return those feelings. I-If you want to pretend this conversation never happened then…”

“Woah woah! Who said anything about not returning those feelings?” Edward grabs Oswald’s hands to keep him to stay. He looks at him with those piercing green eyes. “After you revealed her true nature, I began to think back on what we been through together. A lot. We’ve been through a lot. And I will admit, I did harbor some feelings of attachment to you, but I met Isabella and it threw me through a loop. It was like I was hypnotized by her.” He chuckles a bit. “But I was too blinded by her, and your controlling attitude was leaving a lot to be desired. So I just refused to listen to you.” 

Oswald winces at that. Controlling? Edward was never known to mince words. 

“After you revealed her true nature, it was like a wake up call. I was… Trying to deny those feelings for you. But I could finally put a name to those feelings.”

He holds up Oswald’s hands and kisses them lovingly. He smiles that patented smile, and Oswald absolutely melts under his gaze. He leans forward and kisses him, gentle but direct. Edward wraps his arms around him and Oswald rubs his shoulders. Oswald was about to deepen the kiss but Edward gently pushes him away and gives him a stern look in the eyes.”

“You need to get some sleep. We can discuss this more during dinner tonight. Does that sound reasonable?”

Oswald sighs. It is starting to feel like he can’t keep his eyes open any longer. He leans in to hug Edward, resting his head on his shoulder. That nightmare induced image of Ed being straddled by another person, glaring at Oswald with disgust, still haunts him, but he can learn to trust Edward that those images won’t come true. 

“I’d like that very much.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't write shipping fics often. Or ever. So this is a bit new to me. I'd appreciate a little constructive criticism. Also I'm a bit tired as I stayed up until 2:30 am writing this. ^^; It's also unbeta'd. 
> 
> Also if Isabella is out of character, I apologize, but this is a dream version of her based on Oswald, who has a low opinion of her from what I understand. 
> 
> The title and the inspiration from the dream is based off of Silent Shout by the Knife. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFyp3Q8zDC4
> 
> I also looked up some meanings behind dreams and teeth falling out apparently represents a lack of communication. It also represents embarrassment.
> 
> EDIT: I originally found a riddle to put in the fic, but I thought that perhaps I should write my own. So I changed it.
> 
> EDIT 2: I do not like how I wrote the ending. It feels rushed and phoned in.


End file.
